Don't Let the World Fall Down
by Soleil Fonce
Summary: What if Jareth had pulled Sarah aside during the Masquerade in the dream-like sequence (after Hoggle gives her the peach)? What would have been said? Or done? JarethSarah.


bTitle:/b Don't Let the World Fall Down  
  
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bAuthor:/b MalfoySlave  
  
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bRating:/b PG-13  
  
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bSummary:/b What if Jareth had pulled Sarah aside during the Masquerade in the dream-like sequence (after Hoggle gives her the peach)? What would have been said? Or done? Jareth/Sarah.   
  
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bDisclaimer:/b The Labyrinth and it's characters belong to Jim Henson and George Lucas. The song belongs to David Bowie completely. Who else could sing it with such beauty?   
  
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hr /  
  
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iThere's such a sad love  
  
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Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel  
  
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Open and closed within your eyes  
  
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I'll place the sky within your eyes/i  
  
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His long, pale fingers were wrapped tightly around her hands, their palms touching partially, sending a cool chill down her spine. The corset she wore was beyond restricting and she realized she was barely breathing, and each breath she did draw came in short and shallow. She was trying to avoid his eyes, avoid them at all cost. She feared that if she did meet his eye, she wouldn't be able to look away.  
  
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Instead, she looked at the masked faces around them. They were all leering and laughing, their cruel eyes fixated on her solely. They looked jealous, contemptuous. Angry. But also they seemed amused. She wasn't allowed a closer look, though, as they were spinning gracefully in semi-circles. A few of them pointed at her and she felt ice swell around her heart. What did they want from her?  
  
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"Sarah."   
  
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She turned her head back, but still refused to look directly at him. Her eyes were turned downward, looking at his hands; studying silly little details in an attempt at avoiding his gaze-the fingernails, for instance, on his hands were so utterly flawless and smooth. They looked like pure glass, glimmering dimly in the faint, pastel lighting.   
  
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"Sarah," his voice chided again, arrogant and smooth. But it was also charming, coaxing. Soothing. "Sarah, look at me."  
  
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She blinked, biting her lower lip in a nervous way, but her faint gray-green eyes didn't move their gaze. "I won't," she replied determinedly. She took a small breath; it was as much as the corset would allow.   
  
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iThere's such a fooled heart  
  
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Beating so fast in search of new dreams  
  
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A love that will last within your heart  
  
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I'll place the moon within your heart/i  
  
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She felt him leading her away from the center of the floor, away from the gawking figures around them. She almost tripped on the hem of the gown, on slippered foot catching the material. She stumbled slightly but a strong hand curled around her upper arm, and she leaned into it a bit, catching her balance enough to walk. The hand didn't leave her arm. Sighing softly, she tugged her arm out of the grasp and turned her face away.   
  
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"Why am I here?" she asked quietly, gazing at the other dancers. "I can barely remember how I got here."   
  
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His soft laughter met her ears, lulling her senses. A smile almost tempted her lips and they started to turn upward, a little show of gratitude at the welcomed sound. But she stopped herself. It was foolish and just what he wanted.   
  
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"You're here because I wanted you here," he whispered in her ear. She started and turned to him. Their eyes met and she took a small step backwards. There was something about his eyes. Something that made her very heart sink to her stomach.   
  
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"Why do you want me here, then?" She closed her eyes slowly and reopened them. He didn't speak for a moment, but merely stared at her. For a minute, she had thought she'd seen something flicker in the pale eyes-doubt. But it could have been a trick of lighting, she decided. It was only the dim lighting.   
  
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It disappeared as quickly as it had come and the playful, cocky smile was once more bestowed upon his face. "Don't ask me that, Sarah. Isn't this what you've always wanted? Beautiful things? Gowns and balls and dancing? You've always dreamed of them, Sarah. I can give them to you. I can give them all to you. Don't you want them?"   
  
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iAs the pain sweeps through  
  
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Makes no sense for you  
  
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Every thrill has gone  
  
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Wasn't too much fun at all  
  
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But I'll be there for you  
  
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As the world falls down  
  
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Falling  
  
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(As the world) Falling down  
  
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Falling in love/i  
  
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She made to speak, her throat dry and suddenly feeling very tight. She looked back at the costumed people dancing and laughing. It was true, she had always dreamt of balls in age-old times, fancy dresses and beautiful people. The dreams had always consumed her mind. She looked back at him.   
  
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"Yes," she admitted, unable to bring herself to look into his eyes. She gazed down at herself, at the pastel manila and pinkish gown she wore. It was beautiful. It fitted her perfectly, as if it had been made specifically for her. And that frightened her.   
  
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"But," she continued, a cool edge entering her voice, "they were ionly/i dreams. I…" She paused. What was it she was here for? She was looking for… something. It was something important, dreadfully and horribly important.   
  
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Toby.  
  
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"I need to get Toby back."  
  
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"Your brother, Sarah, is here because you *wished* him away. Because you didn't want him anymore. Why burden yourself with getting him back." There was almost a saddened tone to his voice. "What is having your brother back compared to this?" He gestured with a hand to the Masquerade.   
  
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She looked back at the crowd, longingly. All the lovely clothing and soft-faced people, even with their cruel and untouchable faces, seemed to lure her. No. She shook her head.   
  
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"Stop."  
  
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"Stop what, Sarah?"  
  
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"Stop trying to dissuade me. It won't work," she said coldly. She looked at the floor blindly, glaring at it almost, irritated by how easily she was being deterred.  
  
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"I know."  
  
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iI'll paint you mornings of gold  
  
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I'll spin you Valentine evenings  
  
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Though we're strangers till now  
  
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We're choosing the path between the stars  
  
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I'll leave my love between the stars/i  
  
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"What?" she gasped, looking up, lips parted slightly. "What do you mean?"  
  
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"I know, Sarah, it was a pointless attempt at averting you. You *are* a determined girl, aren't you?"   
  
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She cocked her head, jaw tightening. "I am. And that's why I will get my brother back." She looked at him calmly with a steady gaze. "Manipulation won't work either."   
  
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He frowned, just slightly. That something in his eyes was back. "You have little time left to retrieve your brother, Sarah." He paused. "Sarah," he started again, "Stay here. You could be so happy here. You could have everything you ever wanted."  
  
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"I want my brother back."  
  
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"I would treat you like my Queen. I would give you everything. Jewels, riches, the very balls you dreamt of! My kingdom would be yours."  
  
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She stared at him, startled by the sudden show of emotion. She wanted to say something-refuse or something. But her voice didn't seem to work.   
  
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"Forget about you brother. Sarah, think of what you could have. Think of what I can offer you!."  
  
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She took a breath and shook her head. "But-"  
  
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He cut in smoothly, talking just as easily as he had been. "You wouldn't have to go back to your old life. Doing everything for your step-mother, back to a father who ignores you."   
  
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iAs the pain sweeps through  
  
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Makes no sense for you  
  
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Every thrill has gone  
  
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Wasn't too much fun at all  
  
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But I'll be there for you  
  
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As the world falls down  
  
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Falling  
  
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(As the world) Falling down  
  
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Falling in love/i  
  
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No, she wanted to say. I love my father and he loved my step-mother, and I just want my baby brother back safe. But she couldn't seem to do it.   
  
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And then there were soft fingers on her face, warm palms against her cheeks, thumbs caressing her chin. She stared dumbly into his pale eyes. Were they blue? Gray? Green? She didn't know. She couldn't think clearly enough to see. She felt helpless, torn between two very different things that she wanted equally.  
  
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Her pale jade eyes were wide as the turmoil collided in her mind. Imagine if she could go to masquerades and balls similar to this every evening, be admired in beautiful satin and velvet dresses and night gowns. Imagine if every night she could make love-  
  
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She blinked and took a sharp breath. Shock numbed her body. She blinked again and tried to shake her head. "Jareth," she said faintly, wanting to refuse and get away, but as she made to turn his caressing hands tilted her head back and her lips were covered gently by his.   
  
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It was chaste, soft, romantic. It was the kiss she had dreamed of since she had been a young child, fantasizing about kings and queens and knights in shining armor. But, even though she still dreamed and wished and longed, she knew things didn't happened that way.   
  
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She drew back, eyes liquefied and wide. "N-"  
  
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"Just love me," he whispered. "And you can have everything."  
  
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She realized there were tears flooding her vision, blurring her view of him. He was looking at her so intensely she could have believed it. She did believe it.   
  
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But, of course, things just don't happen like that.  
  
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She shook her head, faintly at first, but more rapidly as clarity came to her. She pulled away sharply, slipping from his feather-soft grasp. Tears were silently streaming down her face. She backed away, frightened of the almost invisible hurt look on his impassive face.   
  
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iFalling  
  
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(As the world) Falling down  
  
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Falling  
  
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As the world falls down  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling in love  
  
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As the world falls down  
  
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(down) Falling  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling in love  
  
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As the world falls down  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling/i  
  
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"I… I can't love you."  
  
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She searched frantically for a way out and her gaze rested upon a wall of mirror glass behind her. She looked at it for a second and thought she saw something behind it. Something she knew. Remembered completely. She grabbed the first thing handy, a white solid cast-iron chair. She made to smash the reflective wall but a hand wrapped around her smaller wrist. She turned, looking into his eyes. "I can't love you," she repeated and pulled away, throwing the chair into the fragile glass.   
  
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iMakes no sense at all  
  
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Makes no sense to fall  
  
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Falling  
  
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As the world falls down  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling in love  
  
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As the world falls down  
  
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(down) Falling  
  
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Falling  
  
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Falling in love  
  
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Falling in love (love)  
  
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Falling in love  
  
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Falling in love  
  
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Falling in love/i  
  
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The next thing she knew, she was falling.  
  
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-bFin/b-  
  
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hr /  
  
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-bA/N/b:  
  
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iThat was my first ever Labyrinth fic. I can't believe it even came out remotely as well as it did. I don't know how good it is. I haven't read too many Labyrinth fics. Please review and tell me how it was. Don't flame. I don't care if I suck, I would just like to know how it was.   
  
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Thank you./i  
  
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b-MalfoySlave/b 


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